Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month

March marks workplace eye health and safety month, making this the perfect opportunity to assess how well you are protecting your eyes each time you work. Admittedly, it can be a hassle to make sure you’re always being safe, especially if you are busy or are always on the go. But it’s crucial to be careful and take the proper precautions. Many injuries are preventable if you just pay attention to what you are doing and wear the appropriate safety gear. What should you do specifically to maximize safety on the job?

Pay Attention

Never underestimate just how effective being careful can be. If you consistently pay attention to your surroundings, equipment, tools and the task you are performing, you will avoid injury. This doesn’t mean you have to work painstakingly slow. It just means you should take the time to watch what you are doing. Instead of zipping through a task quickly, take a few extra seconds to complete it. Watch what you are doing and where your hands are, make sure you are standing away from any potentially dangerous spots, etc. The extra couple of seconds you take to do this is totally worth it if it means avoiding a serious injury. Sure, it can take a bit longer to finish a task, but it’s only several seconds. And no task is worth completing quickly if it means injuring your eyes or harming your sight.

Wear Safety Glasses or Goggles
Even if you don’t perform heavy duty projects, safety glasses and goggles are still necessary to protect your eyes from the debris that often flies around your face as you work. According to Prevent Blindness America, the most common causes of eye injuries include flying objects, tools and particles, all of which you can encounter either on the job site or at home. Whether you are completing a woodworking project or operating a power saw, you should have a pair on at all times. If you work around flying particles and objects, safety glasses are the way to go. They are comfortable to wear, and easy to put on and remove, and a similar feeling to wearing eye glasses. If you are working with chemicals, goggles are a good option. They have a band that fits snugly around your head, preventing chemicals from irritating your eyes.

Make it a point to always be careful and wear eye protection. It can be a hassle, especially if you are busy, but it’s worth it. It only takes a few seconds–sometimes even less–for an eye injury to occur.

1 Response

Wearing safety glasses or goggles is not only intended for heavy duty projects but also to every minor things we like biking, it is better to wear safety glasses when biking so that we can protect our eyes from dust or any particles that have been mixed with air.